The Proposal
by HexenGrimm4ever
Summary: This story takes place right after the series finale. Nick finally confesses his feelings to Adalind and proposes to the one true love of his life. Please read my other fanfic "It Was Love All Along" for the prologue of this story.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Nick could not take his eyes off Kelly, sleeping peacefully in his crib, without a care in the world. He was so grateful to have everyone he cared about back in his life; his colleagues Hank and Wu, his best friends Monroe and Rosalee, his step-daughter Diana, his precious son... and Adalind... the love of his life.

His mind flashed back to what had transpired in the other place. He could still hear Adalind's voice breaking as she begged him to save her children. He could still feel the emptiness that had overcome him the second the light had gone out from her beautiful blue eyes. The excruciating pain that had taken over his heart at the thought of never being able to kiss those perfect pink lips again, to feel her warm body against his, to hear her heart beating in unison with his. But most of all, he could still remember how cold her skin had felt as he held her hand to remove that cursed engagement ring Bonaparte had put on her finger... and how angry he was that he would never get the chance to replace it with the diamond ring he had picked out for her a few weeks before.

Nick's gaze moved away from his son and onto the dresser next to his crib. He made his way to it, opened the top drawer and saw his favorite burgundy sweater, the one Adalind had so gracefully unbuttoned the first time they had made love in his loft. He slowly lifted it to reveal the small blue velvet box that was going to change their lives forever. He closed his hand around it, pulled it out of the drawer and carefully opened it; there it was. He didn't know much about engagement rings, but as soon as he had seen this one, he knew it was perfect for Adalind. The delicate band, adorned with tiny sparkly diamonds, hugged the large round center stone which was surrounded by a halo, a never-ending circle. It reminded him of their relationship; how it had started with her being the first Wesen he had ever seen, how she had turned him into who he now was. And how they had gone in opposite directions, despising and fighting each other for so long, only to come back full-circle to create this perfect little life that lay sound asleep next to him. It had not been love at first sight... or had it? Maybe they were always meant to be... a Grimm and his Hexenbiest.

"Nick?"

Startled, Nick quickly closed the box without making a noise and slid it back inside the drawer before shutting it closed. He turned around to face Adalind; she was so beautiful, wearing nothing but his white shirt. She came closer and wrapped her arms around him.

"Is Kelly asleep?" she asked.

"Yeah, so is Diana."

"Well I'm not surprised... today was quite eventful. Are you ok?"

"Never been better."

He smiled at her and slowly leaned in to kiss her. He didn't want to let her go... never again.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

It was still early and the sun had just risen. Adalind was asleep in Nick's arms. Her hair smelled like fresh flowers, her skin felt as warm as a ray of sunshine, and the sound of her breath was music to his ears... she was alive. He kissed her forehead so gently, not meaning to wake her. But she had. She slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at him.

"Good morning" he whispered, smiling down at her.

"Hey... how long have you been staring at me?" she chuckled.

"Since last night... I didn't get much sleep."

"Why not, is something wrong?"

"Just the opposite, everything is right for once."

This time he kissed her lips. He simply could not bring himself to pull away from her, not that he wanted to. But after a moment, she broke the kiss.

"Nick... we didn't really talk about what happened in the other place."

"There's nothing to talk about, it's over."

"Yes, but... I feel like there's something you're keeping from me."

"Adalind, I promise you. Everything is fine, there's nothing to worry about."

She looked at him intensely, searching his blue eyes for a hint of uncertainty. But all she found was complete calmness.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Zerstörer is gone, he will never hurt us again. Nothing will. We can finally move on with our lives, you and me, and our children."

Adalind stared at him, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, concerned that he had upset her.

"No, not at all... you said 'our children'... like Diana is yours."

He wiped her tears away, holding her chin in his hand. He looked deep into her eyes.

"Diana may not be mine biologically, but in my heart, she is my daughter. I love her just as much as Kelly and..."

He wanted to add the word 'you', but he stopped himself. He realized he had never told her he loved her... he did, in the other place, but the whole time they had spent there had been wiped away when he had come crashing through the mirror in Monroe and Rosalee's living room.

"And what?" she asked.

"And... and that's never going to change."

"Diana loves you too, Nick... I see it just by how she looks at you. It took some time, but she finally understands you're not going anywhere. She knows I love you, not Sean. And that's never going to change" she said, repeating his words.

She kissed him, pulling him closer to her. This time, he wasn't going to let her break the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He felt like his chest was about to explode. The love he felt for Adalind was so incredibly strong, it could no longer be contained. He had to let her know just how much she meant to him, he had to tell her she was his everything...

"Nick..." she whispered between her lips.

"Adalind..."

"I love you."

This was his chance to say those three words right back to her. But he couldn't. He had waited so long to let her know he felt the same way about her, she deserved better than a simple 'I love you too'. It had to be special, a moment she would never forget.

So instead, he rolled her onto her back and gently kissed her before making love to her, over and over again, until they both fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

When Nick woke up, Adalind was gone. For a brief moment, the pain of losing her came rushing back, stronger than ever. Had last night and this morning been nothing but a dream? Had he really lost everything? His heart started pounding in his chest, and it hurt like hell.

"Adalind! ADALIND!" he shouted in panic.

"She went to the store with Kelly" he heard Diana say from the other room.

Relieved, Nick quickly got dressed and joined her. Diana was sitting on the floor, playing with her dolls, like a normal child. Normal; something he was aching for.

"Has she been out long?" he asked her.

"A few hours. She should be back soon. You don't have to worry Nick, she will come back."

Nick stared at her. For such a young girl, she sure had a gift for picking up on people's fears and emotions.

"Are you hungry? I can make us something to eat. Do you like pancakes?"

"You love her, don't you" she said, ignoring his questions.

Nick was taken aback and didn't know what to say... how did this child know so much?

"I..."

"You don't have to say anything" she interrupted. "I know you do. I know I wasn't so nice to you in the beginning. I wanted my mommy and daddy to be together. But... you're not so bad after all."

Nick couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks" he said. "It means a lot to hear you say that".

"My mommy loves you... so I guess I love you too."

Nick kneeled down next to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled at her.

"I love you too sweetie."

She smiled back at him and, to his huge surprise, she threw herself in his arms, hugging him tight. As they were still in an embrace, Nick heard the door slide open.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise!" he heard Adalind say.

He let go of Diana and rushed over to grab the car seat Adalind was holding. Kelly looked up at his daddy and smiled. Nick set the seat on the kitchen table, unclipped the belt to set his son free, and took him in his arms.

"Hey! How's my little man? Daddy missed you."

"He missed you too... he kept saying 'dada' all the way back from the store. I must say I'm jealous, he's nowhere near saying 'mama' yet."

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's the next word on his list."

"Mommy, can I play with Kelly for a bit?" asked Diana, tickling her little brother's feet.

"Sure honey. Just be careful, ok? And no floating objects please."

"Ok mommy" Diana said with a tone of disappointment.

Nick put Kelly down so he and Diana could play on the floor. He then turned back to Adalind and took her in his arms.

"Kelly's not the only one I missed, you know" he whispered.

"Really?" she teased. "Here I thought you needed rest after the night we just had."

Nick smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her. Again, his chest felt like it was about to burst.

"How about we leave Kelly and Diana with Monroe and Rosalee for the night?" Nick asked. "I'm sure they would love the experience given the fact they'll soon have three children of their own. I really need some alone time with you."

"Are you sure? I mean, I'd love that too... but are you ok to leave Diana with them?" she whispered so her daughter wouldn't hear her.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. It's not the first time they'd be watching her."

"I guess you're right. I'll call Rosalee."

"Great" Nick said. "You won't regret it."

"Ooh, now I'm intrigued... what exactly do you have planned for us?"

"It's a surprise" he said, smiling at her. "It'll be a night you'll never forget."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

When Nick came back from Monroe and Rosalee's house where he had dropped off the kids, Adalind was still in the shower. He took this opportunity to retrieve the engagement ring. He walked over to the dresser and took out the blue velvet box from the top drawer. He could feel the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. This was it; in just a little while, he was going to propose to the woman he loved. He felt so nervous but didn't know why. He was sure Adalind would say yes, there was no doubt about that. And yet, he couldn't help but pace back and forth in their bedroom.

He just wanted everything to be perfect. Adalind, the one person he desired most in the entire world, would soon know just how much he loved her. He had never felt this way before, about anyone. There weren't enough words to describe the passion he felt for her. But he would have to find the words... he needed her to know exactly how much she meant to him.

Nick slipped the velvet box in the pocket of his pants right as Adalind walked out of the bathroom, wearing a slim-fitted black dress. Her wavy blond hair cascaded down her shoulders. She was simply stunning. Nick couldn't take his eyes off her. She noticed he was staring at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No... you're gorgeous."

"Well thank you, you're handsome too" she said before she kissed him.

Nick could feel the heat rising already... he didn't know if he'd be able to keep himself from taking her dress off. 'No' he told himself, he had made plans, all for his special lady. He had to pull himself together and resist the temptation of making love to her right then and there.

"Adalind" he said, still kissing her.

"You know, we don't need to go out, we can stay right here" she breathed between her lips.

"You're driving me crazy" Nick said.

Adalind let out a little laugh and started to unbutton Nick's shirt.

"No..." Nick said. "I made plans for us, we really should go".

"Are you sure?" Adalind whispered, now kissing his neck.

Her lips felt like fire, the smell of her hair was intoxicating. Nick didn't want to pull away from her... but he had to.

"Yes, but I promise we'll come back here and pick up right where we left off" he said, taking her hands into his so she couldn't take his clothes off.

"All right, if you insist" she said with the disappointment clearly showing in her voice.

Nick smiled at her, his nerves calming down. She looked up at him, smiling back.

"So where are you taking me, Mr. Grimm?"

"You'll have to follow me to find out" he responded. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Let's go then."

Nick led Adalind to the door, but before he slid it open, he stopped to look at her. His heart started beating faster. He couldn't do it. He had planned it all down to the finest details, but he couldn't go through with it. He had to tell Adalind. Now.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just..." he said, his voice fading down to a whisper. "Adalind, I..."

He was about to tell her he loved her when his cellphone started ringing.

"Is that Hank?" Adalind casually asked, not a clue that Nick had come so close to telling her he was in love with her.

"No, actually... it's Renard" Nick said in frustration. His captain had really picked the wrong moment to call him. "Hey Captain, what's up?" he answered.

Adalind couldn't hear what Sean was saying, but she immediately could tell something was wrong when Nick's expression went blank.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

"Ok... yeah. Thanks for letting me know."

Nick hung up and looked at Adalind. He was quiet for a moment, not knowing how to give her the news.

"Nick, what is it? What happened?"

"Eve is gone."

"What do you mean? Where did she go?"

"No... she's... dead."

As Nick said the words, their meaning started to sink in... Eve was dead. Gone. Forever. No coming back from the grave this time. They had both made peace in the last few days, Eve recognizing that Nick had moved on. With Adalind. Of course Nick still cared about Eve, he had fond memories of the years he had spent with her when she was Juliette. But that was the past. Adalind was his present. And more importantly, she was his future. And Eve knew that. As they had both pointed out, none of them were who they used to be, they had become very different people.

"What?! How?!" Adalind said, starting to shake.

The tears immediately started rolling down her face. Nick took her in his arms to comfort her.

"She had an accident. Her car drove off a cliff. Circumstances are still unclear but... Renard says it may have been a suicide."

"Oh my God... it can't be... Nick, it can't be!"

Adalind was crying uncontrollably now. Nick was upset too, but Adalind was taking the news extremely hard. After everything she and Juliette/Eve had gone through, the fact that Adalind was so distraught over this loss amazed him; and it made him love her even more.

"This is all my fault Nick! She did this because I took you away from her, because I wanted revenge... Juliette is dead because of me!"

"Adalind, this has nothing to do with you... Eve had issues with who she was..."

"Because I made her a Hexenbiest!" cried Adalind, pulling away from Nick. "I'm the reason she became one, I'm the reason... I'm the reason she lost you and the life that she loved..."

"Listen to me, you are not responsible for what happened. I won't let you blame yourself for any of it."

Nick put both his hands on Adalind's shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Adalind, tell me you believe me."

"I can't... I can't! God, you must hate me..."

"No, I don't. I could never... I can't even say the words. Yes, Eve's condition was a direct consequence of the spell we had to perform so I could gain my Grimm powers back. But..."

"The powers that I took away from you, Nick!" Adalind interrupted.

"But what she chose to do with her Hexenbiest powers was in no way your fault" Nick continued. "You didn't make her burn down my aunt's trailer. You didn't make her betray my mom. You didn't make her try to kill me... and you. She loved her new powers more than she loved me, and she made that clear when she joined forces with the Royals to kill my mother so they could take Diana away from you."

"Still Nick, that all happened because I made myself look like Juliette so I could seduce you and make love to you, and take away what you loved most."

"And what is it you think that I love most?" Nick asked, taking her in his arms again.

"I... Juliette... she was the love of your life..." Adalind said, looking at Nick, the pain clearly reflected in her eyes.

Nick couldn't take it anymore; he hated seeing her in such agony. She had it all wrong. He loved her, only her. This had to end. Now.

He looked deep into her eyes, tears beginning to form in his own.

"No she wasn't" he whispered. "You are."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Adalind was speechless. Surely she had heard wrong... or Nick had misspoken. How could she be the love of his life? Sure, they shared a child together, and they had grown closer, closer than she had ever thought or dreamed possible. But all of this had been the result of her manipulations. Nick would never have ended up with her had it not been for the horrible things she did to Juliette. There was no way he could have fallen in love with the Hexenbiest who took away his lover... he was a Grimm after all.

Nick was starting to get nervous; Adalind had still not said anything.

"Adalind, did you hear what I said?"

"I... Nick, you're in shock over Juliette's death..."

"No I'm not" Nick interrupted. "Eve being gone has nothing to do with how I feel about you. I know I haven't been an open book with you, and it's taken a long time for me to realize just how much you mean to me. But I have to let you know, you need to know..."

"I'm sorry Nick, I can't do this" Adalind said, pulling away from him.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I can't let you ignore how you feel about Juliette..."

"Stop calling her Juliette!" Nick shouted.

He hadn't meant to yell, but Adalind wasn't making this easy.

"Juliette has been gone for a while now" Nick said in a lower tone of voice. "The second she turned into a Hexenbiest, Juliette died. Adalind, you need to listen to me; I am not with you because Juliette's gone. I am not with you just because you gave birth to my child. You've changed so much, even I can't believe how much, but you have. You are this whole new person... you're caring and loving. You're an amazing mother to Kelly. You're beautiful both inside and out."

Adalind started crying again. But these tears were different; they were tears of joy. Although she still couldn't bring herself to smile. It all seemed so unreal.

"When I first met you, right before you woged, something stirred up deep down inside of me... I couldn't explain it at first. I thought it was just the Grimm in me being born. Every time we crossed paths after that, the same feeling kept coming back, and each time I tried to bury it. I spent years trying to forget it... even when I was with Juliette. I never wanted to admit it to myself. I just assumed it was my Grimm instincts trying to protect me from you, that it couldn't possibly be anything else. But it had nothing to do with me. It was all about you, Adalind. You."

Nick reached closer and took Adalind's hand.

"You changed my life. You made me who I am. There's a reason why I met you that day; it was fate. Adalind... you and I were meant to be."

"Nick..."

"No, please... let me finish" he interrupted.

"Ok" Adalind said, her voice shaky from all the emotions that were running through her.

"When you came back from Vienna and told me you were pregnant with my child, the exact same feeling that had stirred up inside of me when I first met you came rushing back... only this time it was much stronger. Yes, I was angry, there was no denying that; but part of me was... relieved. Because I finally knew what that feeling was... it was love."

Adalind's hand squeezed Nick's. Her eyes lit up, and a faint smile began to form on her lips. He tenderly took her face in his hands and looked deep down into her sparkly blue eyes.

"You're my world, my universe, my everything. I love you Adalind."

"I love you too Nick" she said, her voice full of emotion.

Nick slowly bent down to kiss her. Gently at first, then passionately.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Forget the plans, forget everything; this moment right here was what mattered. The two of them finally coming together in every way possible; their bodies, hearts and souls uniting as one. The rest of the world was nothing but a vague memory. Tonight was going to be all about them, and no one else.

Nick started unzipping Adalind's dress as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and took it off. He started kissing her neck as he let her dress slip off her body. He could feel her breathing harder. The heat was rising between them. Adalind unzipped his pants, letting them fall off, not noticing the little velvet box that fell onto the floor. He picked her up in his arms without taking his lips off her and moved towards the bed. He slowly lay her down and forced himself to break the kiss even though every single muscle in his body begged him not to.

"Adalind..."

"Nick..." Adalind whispered. "Make love to me."

Nick smiled. Her wish was his command.

He unhooked her bra and slowly took it off. He then made his way down to her panties and slipped them off. He started kissing her, tasting her sweet lips and savoring every second of it. Her hands, caressing his hair at first, slowly made their way down to his back until they reached his boxer shorts. She slid them off, sending shivers of pleasure down his spine.

Nick opened his eyes for a second and looked at her. He loved her so much. He needed her, his entire body ached for her. She opened her eyes as well and noticed the look in his eyes; no one had ever looked at her the way he did. She felt so special, unique, like she was the only thing that mattered to him in the entire universe.

"I love you so much..." Nick said.

"I know" she whispered.

"I love you" he repeated.

She kissed him, pulling him down to let him know that they were done talking. She knew he loved her, now she wanted him to show her just how much.

Nick slid inside of her and felt her body shiver underneath him. She wasn't cold, just the opposite. Her skin burned against his as the heat continued to rise. Her breath started to accelerate as he moved inside of her. She could feel the pleasure mounting as every part of her succumbed to him. She couldn't get enough of him; his soft lips kissing every inch of her, his gentle hands leaving her skin tingling as he caressed her. She started moaning, driving Nick to slow down. He didn't want to rush things, he wanted this moment to last forever. He moved his lips away from hers and started kissing her neck, making his way down to her breasts. He found her nipples and licked them gently, then sucked on them until he heard her let out a soft moan.

"Oh... Nick..." she breathed.

The way she whispered his name made his insides melt. He came back up and started kissing her again. Adalind's hands were sliding up and down his back, her touch felt like fire. As he continued to move inside of her, he felt it again; that feeling deep down inside of him that made his chest want to explode. The tension increased, their bodies felt like hot liquid, melting, only to fuse back together to become one. They both moved in unison for a while, fitting so perfectly together. Nick could feel Adalind's heart beating underneath his, her breath tickling his lips, her nails digging into his back, her legs tightening around his waist. Their motion intensified until they both reached climax. Nick rolled onto his back as Adalind threw her head back in ecstasy.

"That was..." Adalind said out of breath.

"Perfect" Nick finished her thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Adalind was sleeping peacefully in Nick's arms when he woke up a few hours later. It was the middle of the night, and the moonlight was dancing over their naked bodies.

Nick's eyes wandered to the floor, next to the bed, and he spotted something blue... the velvet box, he realized. He had completely forgotten about the ring. The plans he had made for tonight had gone to hell when he had received that phone call from Renard. The romantic candlelight dinner, the walk up to the highest point of the mountain where he was going to propose under the stars... but that didn't mean he still couldn't ask the one true love of his life to marry him.

Nick carefully slid from under Adalind, making sure not to wake her. He slipped out of the covers and slowly got down from the bed. He walked to where the box had fallen and picked it up. He heard the bedsheets ruffle behind him, so he turned around to see if Adalind had woken up.

"Hey" she said, still half asleep. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just thought I heard something." 

He had nowhere to hide the box, so he had to decide whether or not to go through with the proposal now. Was this special enough? Was it ok to propose in bed? Would it be memorable enough for Adalind? Or should he go back to his original plan of proposing under the stars?

"Come back to bed" Adalind said, her voice still sleepy.

"Actually, do you feel like going for a walk?"

"In the middle of the night?" she asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, why not? It's such a beautiful night..." Nick said, trying to convince her.

"Hum, sure, I guess we can do that" she said, getting up to put something on.

Nick quickly put on a pair of jeans and his burgundy sweater, carefully making sure Adalind didn't see him put the velvet box in his front pocket. He turned around and she was standing there, staring at him.

"What?" he asked, scared she had noticed the box.

"I'm sorry I ruined your plans tonight, I know you wanted this night to be special for us."

"Don't be silly, you didn't ruin anything. We can always go out to eat another night. Besides, I'd much rather have you all to myself" Nick said, wrapping his arms around her.

"Ah-ha, so you were going to take me out to dinner?" she said with a little laugh.

"You caught me, here I thought I could surprise you and blow you away" he said, kissing her gently.

She kissed him back, pulling him closer. Nick could feel her trying to draw him back to bed. Not this time. He slowly pulled away from her.

"Come on, let's go for that walk."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

When Nick had suggested going for a walk, Adalind had assumed they would drive to a park or the woods, and go for a stroll. But instead, he had led her up to the rooftop. The air was crisp, but Nick was right; it was a beautiful night.

Adalind realized she hadn't been up there much in the short time they had lived here. She remembered going up to put Kelly to sleep a few times, but she had never stayed long enough to enjoy the view. She walked up to the edge and could see the entire city before her, the lights shining bright in the dark night.

"The view is absolutely stunning" she said.

"Not as stunning as you are" she heard Nick say behind her as he wrapped his arms around her.

Nick's heart started to beat a little faster. The moment he had been waiting for his entire life was finally here. He hugged Adalind a little tighter and kissed her hair. She turned around to face him. Her eyes were as sparkly as the stars above them. Nick couldn't take his eyes off her, he didn't want to either.

Adalind lifted her toes and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck. She kissed him, her soft lips brushing his and sending electric shocks through his entire body.

"Adalind..." Nick whispered, breaking the kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too" she said, smiling up at him.

The perfect moment was finally here. Nick swiftly took the blue velvet box out of his pocket. He took Adalind's left hand in his and bent down on one knee, making sure not to take his eyes off her. Her eyes immediately started tearing up.

"All my life, I've been searching for my soulmate" Nick said, looking up at her beautiful face. "And when I finally found you six years ago, you changed my life forever. You rocked my world and turned it upside down. But at the same time, you gave my life meaning. First you made me a Grimm, and then you made me a father... twice. You and our children mean the world to me."

Tears were rolling down Adalind's cheeks. 

"You are my life and I will love you until my lungs give out" Nick continued. "I want us to grow old together, I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep to the sound of your breath every night, for the rest of our lives."

Nick slowly opened the box, revealing the gorgeous diamond engagement ring.

"Adalind, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Adalind said. "I want nothing more than to be your wife."

Nick smiled at the sound of her words... his wife. He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger; it fit perfectly. He finally got up and took Adalind in his arms, kissing her passionately. The world around them had completely faded away. In that moment, they could only see and feel each other.

After what seemed like an eternity, Adalind broke the kiss and looked up at Nick, smiling. 

"I can't believe I'm going to marry a Grimm" Adalind said, letting out a little laugh.

Nick smiled back at her.

"A Grimm and his Hexenbiest... together at last" he whispered.

Nick looked down at the love of his life. He kissed her again, with all the tenderness in the world. He felt so complete, like never before. She was his and he was hers, now and forever.

\- THE END -  
(Please read the sequel - Til Death Do Us Part)


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